Follow Us

The Situation

The child abuse rate in Kentucky is climbing, affecting kids well into adulthood.

People who suffer trauma as children experience changes to their brains' chemistry and development. These effects are long-lasting, impacting survivors’ physical and mental health. Children who have endured trauma live with increased risk of harmful behaviors, lowered self-worth and a distrust that threatens interpersonal connection with others. Without the right kind of restorative work, the cycle of abuse continues.

2X

In Kentucky, 22 of every 1,000 kids will suffer abuse. That’s the highest rate in the U.S. and more than twice the national average.

9,700

More than 9,700 Kentucky children are living in impermanence after being removed from their families, near an all-time high.

~3,000

Nearly 3,000 kids are abused or neglected in Jefferson County each year.

1in5

Around 1 in 5 children in the U.S. struggles with an emotional or behavioral disorder each year, and too many lack access to the care they need.

7X

People with more than four adverse childhood experiences — such as abuse — are seven times more likely to become addicted to alcohol.

20yrs

On average, survivors of six or more adverse childhood experiences live 20 fewer years than those without any similar experiences.

$124B

According to the Center for Disease Control, the total lifetime cost of child abuse and neglect is estimated at $124 billion each year.